Trees and Plants

The most spectacular of all plant life found in the park is the saguaro cactus.

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Trees and Plants Details

The desert can be a tough place to thrive, but you may be surprised at just how much plant life is found within Saguaro National Park. Of course, the saguaro is the most iconic of all trees and plants found within the park. The iconic cactus can grow upwards of 50 feet, weigh up to 16,000 pounds, and live to be 150 to 200 years old. Saguaro also provide shelter for wildlife within the park, serving as homes to birds, and providing shade, food and water to other animals. The park is home to about 1,600 different types of plant species. The Sonoran Desert is not all bleak and dry: during the rainy monsoon season (July and August), green begins appearing throughout the desert as dormant plants and trees come back to life. One example is the ocotillo plant: within just 45 hours after a rainfall, the plant's seemingly dry sticks transform into a tall shrub with green branches covered in new leaves. And in the springtime, wildflowers bloom, blanketing the desert with bright colors.

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